Hiking in Western North Carolina

Welcome to the Appalachian mountain region of Western North Carolina - a haven in the Land of Sky for enthusiasts of outdoor recreation!

Current inspiration: With all the rain we've had lately, even small streams such as Hickory Branch gush!

HikeWNC.info is your on-line hiking guide for North Carolina's Appalachian mountain region, containing all of the information you need to make your next trip complete. We aim to provide guidebook quality information that you can use in your outdoor persuits. Have fun browsing and hiking!

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Why take an expensive vacation thousands of miles away when a world-renowned outdoor playground is right next door?

Some of the highest peaks in the East, surrounded by vast areas of wilderness and miles and miles of trails, invite visitors from all over the world. And even locals looking for an easy day hike find the area irresistible.

The Trails section of our site is the gateway to information about individual trails in Western North Carolina. Search for a trail by name; each trail has its own page with all the details, a map (where available), and a place to leave ratings and comments.

Your guide to the Best Hikes in Western North Carolina, combining individual trails into a fully guided experience. We feel like these trips are most representative of the great hiking that Western North Carolina has to offer!

This section covers all of the maps we have available for you to view, download, and purchase, including maps of the Trailheads and Best Hikes above, and interactive Google Maps with downloadable GPS data.

Get general area information to round out your trip, including things to consider when planning a hike, information about places to stay and outfitters, and ways to get involved in the area's hiking community.

Site Updates & News

My hiking (and life) partner chose Shortoff Mountain because he knew I would fall in love with the dry, stark terrain and the unforgiving sun. I’ve always loved landscapes that reflect extremes and this trail allowed me to revel in … Continued

The days are getting longer, the sun setting later, and with that comes the opportunities for real after-work hikes, expanding the time to explore the trails beyond my usual weekend availability. On Thursday, May 18 I decided to take the … Continued

We chose Rich Falls for our Saturday hiking adventure after finding it in the third edition of Kevin Adams’ North Carolina Waterfalls guidebook. We wanted a crystal clear, private swimming hole, and a trail that would likely be deserted. I’m … Continued

Edit: as of July 29, 2016, the first bridge is now complete! The hike to Catawba Falls has always involved a tricky rock-hop near the beginning of the trail. While it’s not terribly difficult or at all dangerous, it does … Continued

Notice 4/22/15: A large wildfire has spread through the area described by this hike, and the trails are currently closed. We’ll update when they re-open, and hopefully go back for a visit to see what it looks like after it’s … Continued

For the 10 days leading up to New Year’s Eve, we’d had a lot of rain in the southern Appalachians. Really, it was a tremendous stretch of wet weather. So, I just had to get out and look for some … Continued

The lower portion of the Trace Ridge Trail, located in the North Mills River area of Pisgah National Forest, has recently been re-routed. It was a years-long project spearheaded by Pisgah Area SORBA, and one of the first volunteer-built sections … Continued